Ice Sweeper!

Morgan will be an Ice Sweeper at the US Adult Figure Skating Championships this April! She is so excited to pick up teddy bears and flowers for all the competitors. We are grateful for the opportunity she has!

Harlem Globetrotters

I remember seeing the Harlem Globetrotters when I was little. They were hilarious, I recalled. We decided to see if they still held the same magic. On Monday evening, we joined Special K and the team for a fun night. Morgan laughed her head off the entire time, and Cole thought the humor was as good as their basketball skill! One of our favorite parts was when the team did a "Globetrotter Football" play, along with a replay. We also loved when they all got up and danced. Sweet Georgia Brown... we had a great time.

Eagles in Farmington Bay

We took a drive north to Farmington Bay on Monday afternoon, President's Day. Bald eagles are wintering there and we were hoping to catch a good look. The ones we could see closely were pretty sedentary while we were there and we only witnessed a few them flying in the distance. They are an incredible sight.

Eagles begin arriving in Utah in late November and early December and remain in the area through early March, when they return to their nests, some as far afield as Canada and even Alaska. Overall eagle numbers peak around mid-February. Utah is ranked among the top five areas in the lower 48 states for wintering bald eagles. Eagles congregate at Farmington Bay during winter months to feed on carp and waterfowl as their traditional fresh water feeding grounds are frozen over or become unproductive.

I Love Weekends with the Family

Since I work quite a few weekends, I always feel especially blessed when I am off and can enjoy time with Rich, Cole, and Morgan. We had an incredible weekend. Friday evening was spent listening to 9C basketball on the laptop, while enjoying University of Utah Red Rocks gymnastics at the Huntsman Center. Morgan took a friend along. While the girls were watching gymnastics, the boys were at Laser Quest. Cole and Rich met a whole bunch of Cole's friends there and they played several games... of course, Rich was the biggest kid there.

Saturday morning was blissful, and that is an understatement. I built a nice fire in the fireplace and tuned the laptop into streaming radio of Jord's basketball tournament in Montana. It was so peaceful to be working in the kitchen and listening to the games being broadcast. Listening to high school basketball on the radio takes me back in time. The Knights didn't make it past the district tourney, but we had a great time cheering them on from a distance.

Sunday was spent relaxing and then bowling. I bowled pretty poorly the first game, but Cole reminded me, "mom, you always do great your second game.". Well, I guess he was right, because I bowled a 202. Really? Maybe I should join a league, or not. I think it was a fluke. We all had a blast and many laughs!

Teleporting to Montana?

We have so enjoyed living in Utah the past 5 years. There isn't much I would change about our adventure here, however, there are a few drawbacks. Today, I am sad to be missing my nephew, Jordy's, district basketball tournament. I think tournament time evokes many emotions for me, as it brings back so many memories of when I was the one on the court. I remember feelings of excitement and anxiety, sometimes absolute giddiness, leading up to tournament time. I know that Jordy is experiencing all of those emotions and making so many memories that he will treasure for years to come. I wish we could be there to watch you, I know you will make us proud!

Snowshoeing with Wildcats

I was lucky enough to be a parent volunteer on the 4th grade snowshoeing trip up Big Cottonwood Canyon. This activity was paid for by a grant from REI. What an incredible program. We had guides that took us around the forest and taught us about different trees, animal tracks, scat, and the history of the canyon. It was incredible, and to top it all off, it was sunny!!! After the guided tour, we all sat on the snow and had a picnic lunch, then played in the snow. What a beautiful day!

Ramona's tin can stilts

When I was in grade school, I loved to read any book by Beverly Cleary. Hence, my love for Ramona Quimby and her big sister, Beezus. I had saved all those books from my childhood and shared them with Cole and Morgan the past few years. Last year, we listened to one of her books on CD on our way to Montana. I remember from reading when I was little, and then hearing it again on the CD...Ramona made stilts out of tin cans. I had put this on my "to do" list with the kids, but finally accomplished it last weekend after work. It was a gorgeous weekend here! Sunday's temperatures almost reached 60 degrees! I had a hard time getting the kids in the house when the sun went down. Tin can stilts, bicycling, walking the dogs, shooting hoops... the perfect day in the warmth of the sun.

Nice work, Cole!

We are proud of Cole's second term 4.0! He is pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. When I asked him if he got his grades, he said, "oh, yes, I guess you probably want to see this (certificate), too.". He is a great student and we know he will go far in this world!

Wonderful Weekend

It was such a fun weekend, I am sad that Monday is here again. The kids both had fun hanging out with friends on Friday evening and we all slept in on Saturday. We headed up to Jeremy Ranch to Gorgoza Park for a couple hours of sledding. I have to say, it was even more fun than we ever imagined. You take a Magic Carpet up part of the hill, then a rope tow pulls you and the tube the rest of the way up the hill. A nice relaxing ride to the top, followed by fast sledding down the hill-- priceless! Afterward, we shopped at the outlets and watched a movie while the kids played with friends that evening. A fantastic Superbowl Sunday topped off with a win by the Packers and a great party at the Brown's completed the weekend!

Jr. Jazz Basketball

We're in the middle of basketball season here at the Stenseth house. Cole's old team, the Sharks, who had been together for 4 seasons, did not get back together this year, as the boys are all in different middle schools throughout the valley. This year he is on a team with some of his friends from football and his team is the 76ers. It has been a season for growth, as the boys are still figuring each other out on the court. They have won some, and have gotten their butts kicked a few times, too. The great thing about Cole is that he is just happy to be playing, has fun no matter what, and is improving his skills along the way. If he ever grows into his feet, he will be a force to be reckoned with! Go 76ers!